Abstract
Background. Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that significantly impairs the quality of life of patients and is characterized by epidermal hyperproliferation, inflammatory infiltration, and disrupted keratinization processes. Despite the wide range of existing therapeutic approaches, many drugs are associated with adverse effects that limit their long-term use. This substantiates the need for developing new topical agents with high efficacy and a favorable safety profile. Aim: to investigate morphological changes in the skin and assess the efficacy of novel topical formulations containing refined Naftalan oil (RNO) in cream and ointment forms in a mouse model of experimentally induced psoriatic skin lesions. Materials and methods. The study was conducted on adult BALB/c mice of both sexes (n=34). Psoriatic lesions were induced by daily application of 5% imiquimod to a depilated area of the back skin over 9 days. After the development of pathological changes, the following test samples were applied: a cream containing 10% refined Naftalan oil and an ointment with 10% refined Naftalan oil combined with 3% salicylic acid. A cream containing 1% hydrocortisone butyrate was used as a reference preparation. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by monitoring the dynamics of the mPASI index over 21 days. Results. The test sample of cream containing 10% refined Naftalan oil demonstrated a moderate antipsoriatic effect, manifested by reductions in erythema, infiltration, and desquamation. The ointment containing 10% refined Naftalan oil and 3% salicylic acid exhibited a more pronounced therapeutic effect due to the synergistic action of its components, which includes the keratolytic action of salicylic acid and enhanced penetration of active substances into deeper skin layers. The reference preparation showed lower efficacy compared to the combined test sample. Conclusion. Refined Naftalan oil demonstrated a favorable safety profile for topical use and the ability to enhance the penetration of active pharmaceutical ingredients into deeper layers of the skin. The combination of refined Naftalan oil with salicylic acid provides a synergistic therapeutic effect, confirmed by macro- and microscopic evaluations of skin condition, which opens up prospects for the use of these substances in dermatological preparations for psoriasis treatment